Administration

Sachiko Isihara, Executive Director

Sachiko Isihara has served as the Executive Director of Suzuki School of Newton for over 20 years. She led SSN's three-year capital campaign to purchase and rehabilitate the historic Staples-Craft-Wiswall farmstead as SSN's permanent home in the heart of Waban.

Sachiko is a pianist by training, earning performance degrees from both the Juilliard School in New York and New England Conservatory in Boston. She is a graduate of the European Suzuki Association teacher training earning all five levels within three years, and became a Suzuki Association of the Americas Teacher Trainer in 2008.

Recently selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as one of their Commonwealth Heroines of 2020, she was recognized for her leadership and volunteerism for the betterment of her community. In 2018 and 2019, Sachiko received the Steinway Top Teacher award, and in 2018 also received the Milestone Award from the National Guild for Community Arts Education.

Sachiko is a founding member of the Newton Cultural Alliance, and was appointed by Mayor Fuller to be part of the committee for Community Design for Arts and Culture who developed the Create Newton cultural plan. Sachiko was recently elected to the Waban Improvement Society Board and looks forward to participating in enhancing Waban.

Eytan Wurman, Director of Operations

A change maker, educator, and advocate, Eytan Wurman is committed to stewarding the evolution of classical music. Eytan is a progressive leader in public schools in the greater Boston area and singer with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston Pops, and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Partnering with teams of teachers, administrators, and exceptional students, Eytan creates immersive environments where young musicians of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds can fall in love with classical music and see themselves as bold innovators for a rich and exciting future. As a result of his efforts, the groups Eytan works with see enormous increases in enrollment for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students.  At the same time Eytan revels in sharing the beauty and joy of canonical masterworks through his performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops as a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Eytan Wurman holds a Master of Music Education from Gordon College as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies, a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership and Policy from Boston University. 

A lover of all things historical, Eytan is an active member of the United States Court Tennis Association and the Boston Tennis and Racquet Club. A lover of all things innovative, Eytan is an active member of The 'Quin House in Boston. Eytan is currently the Director of Operations for the Suzuki School of Newton in Massachusetts. He serves on the boards of directors for Convergence Ensemble and Blue Heron Renaissance Ensemble.

Eytan, his wife, and his child live in Jamaica Plain.

Barrie Wheeler, President

Mark Bauer, Vice President

David Gaylin, Treasurer

Christina Daly, Clerk

Anastasia Canty

Kasey Calebaugh, Faculty Rep

Martha Fishman, Past President